And With This Ring
by HHHereComesTrouble
Summary: Hunter wakes up one morning with a throbbing headache and a ring on his finger...HHH/Steph. One-shot.


Another one-shot! I sat down to write some of Chances, got 1000 words into it, and then THIS happened. I hope you all enjoy it though, nonetheless. I'm really getting into this whole write-a-few-scenes-without-having-to-develop-the-plot thing! Plus, I can pretty much end it wherever without feeling obligated to continue. It's a bit of a change writing them as their on-screen characters and I've finally managed to stop mixing up Hunter/Paul. LOL. As always, let me know what you think.

* * *

Present Day

Hunter squinted his eyes to diminish the intensity of the morning sunlight. He rolled over in the bed so that the window was behind him. The crisp, white sheets were tangled wildly and bunched around his thighs. They looked even whiter against his tanned skin. Sighing, he massaged at his temple with the tips of his fingers. He wasn't a huge advocate of over-the-counter medications, but right now he was willing to do anything to ease his throbbing headache. Maybe he could slip into a pharmacy unnoticed on his way to the arena tonight.

He absentmindedly scratched at his abdomen, trying to remember when or what his last meal was. Oddly enough, there was no residual evidence that he'd ordered room service, and he couldn't recall eating out. He shrugged off the concern and reached for the sheets at the bottom of the bed. Only then did he become aware of the gleaming gold band on the ring finger of his left hand.

"What the hell…" he muttered.

Hunter twisted the strange piece of jewelry around his finger, examining it closely. It appeared to be on the pricier side – definitely not something he would pick out for himself. And if he wasn't mistaken, even though he prayed he was, the fine ring just happened to be a wedding band.

But…but _how_?

His head was too sore to handle frustration. Otherwise, he would be just that. Instead he was perplexed to say the least. To recap the morning's events, Hunter had awoken with a brutal headache and now he was supposedly married. This was insanity! Any normal guy would have been freaking out over this, yet here he was propped up against a pillow not putting much stock into the whole ordeal.

Not sure what to think, he scanned the hotel room with weary eyes. They widened a bit as he consciously took in the surrounding area. The place was an absolute disaster. If someone came up here and told him a tornado hit last night, he wouldn't dare question them. There were empty glasses everywhere – some shattered and some half filled, pieces of furniture resting entirely on their backsides, and…rose petals scattered across the beige carpet.

The evidence was lined up right in front of his face flawlessly. And he liked to believe that it was pretty evident as to what went down the night prior. He and the missus had clearly consummated this supposed marriage, and their celebration was anything but placid. That explained the torn apart hotel room. Curiously, Hunter picked up a stray rose petal on the bed. Another thought occurred to him as he let the petal fall to the mattress.

Where _was _the missus?

* * *

Last Night

Hunter leaned against the bar carelessly and sipped at his drink. The liquor burned his throat on the way down, but he figured that was mostly because he didn't consume alcohol very often. Tonight wasn't any special occasion, but the bar was on the way to the elevators and what harm could one drink do?

"Hey."

The hushed, female voice lured him away from his thoughts. He spun his entire body to the side so he could view her fully. Her long, chestnut locks hung low in loose ringlets and she wore a tight black dress that only came down to the top of her thighs. She was tall, probably even without the black pumps she had on. She stared at him with pale blue eyes that were sweet but borderline seductive. Something about the young woman seemed oddly familiar, but Hunter couldn't quite place his finger upon it. She was smoking hot, so it probably didn't matter anyways.

"Hi there."

As her hot breath brushed against his cheek, he felt slightly taken aback. It took a few moments for him to recuperate before he could make out one coherent though. She blinked in confusion at the delay of his response.

"Do I know you from somewhe…"

"Nope," she answered automatically, in a hurried tone. Before Hunter could say anything, she had already sat down on a raised bar stool and was gesturing for him to join her. Surely he couldn't refuse. Something about her was just so captivating and mischievous, unlike any woman he'd encountered in the past. "I'm Steph, by the way."

She extended her hand, and he reluctantly shook it. He'd expected her to introduce herself in a different way, or perhaps just leave her name to the imagination. Her straightforwardness was unexpected, but not unwelcomed.

"Hunter," he said simply.

"Triple H," she added. Hunter's eyes narrowed at her. "You're not that hard to recognize, unless you've been living under a rock for the past year." She brought the glass to her lips and took a mouthful of the amber liquid. "Which I haven't, by the way."

"I can see that."

Stephanie blushed and looked away from him, while Hunter's eyes wandered her body shamelessly. Her curves were enticing, and they were in all the right places if he might add. The way she sat with one leg crossed over the other wasn't helping the situation either. It made the dress slide up so far that she might as well not being wearing it at all. Shutting his eyes tightly, he wetted his bottom lip with his tongue. Thoughts of having Stephanie alone and naked were possessing his brain. Nothing would restrict him from caressing and worshipping every inch of her. God, the more he fiddled with the idea, the more he wanted it to become reality.

"Are you here alone?" she wondered, breaking the elongated silence.

"I am. What about you?"

Stephanie nodded and glanced at the drink menu on the bar. "How about I buy us a round and then we blow this joint?" Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively while her tone remained dead serious. Hunter was lost in her eyes as she spoke, so he wasn't the slightest bit aware of what she was asking him to do. Slowly, he cocked his head to the side.

"Huh?"

"Drinks. I'll buy. Then we leave," she explained, with brief pauses in between each short phrase. "Sound like a plan?"

Hunter managed to find enough composure to consider the idea with logic. The common sense in him was warning him to decline the offer. Was it really safe or smart to permit a complete stranger to buy him a drink? Well, technically she wasn't a _complete_ stranger. They'd acquainted themselves earlier and she seemed like a decent person. Ah, what the hell. If her latter implications had anything to do with what Hunter thought they did, he was all in. She was far too breathtaking. And he wasn't willing to pass up the chance on a night with her just because he was skeptical of her identity.

"Yes. It sounds like a wonderful plan."

"Good," she hushed. Stephanie stood up from the seat and closed the distance between them. She placed her hands on his chest and let them travel down until they rested upon his hardness. Hunter felt his breath catch in his throat as she lowered her head down to meet his. "I'll go get us those drinks. I shouldn't be too long. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

He nodded his head obediently as she pulled away. Her hips swayed back and forth as she walked towards the end of the bar. Halfway there, she spun on her heel to shoot him a playful smirk. He grinned back at her. Even now, he could still feel her hovering over him, her long strands tickling the hot skin of his neck and her hands roaming over the zipper of his jeans. He leaned his head back and sighed.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"For richer…or, or sickness…or…"

Stephanie mentally slapped herself. Some genius she was for orchestrating this plan. When she planned on drugging Hunter, she didn't intend for it to backfire on her at the altar. Now he was too wasted to memorize his vows or even speak clearly, for that matter. They'd been at this for at least half an hour and she had yet to say her vows.

"Actually, sir, the line is 'for richer, or for poorer; in sickness, and in health.' Maybe you could just…" The priest's voice was cut off abruptly by Stephanie's.

"Forget about it!" she snapped irritably. "Just…just…skip to the last part."

Hunter looked around in confusion, but eventually shrugged to himself. Yep, those drugs definitely did the trick. He smiled at her sweetly, and Stephanie tried to pretend it didn't warm her heart. At that very moment, he looked boyishly cute. Underneath his macho persona, maybe he was sweet and loving. Her eyes trailed downwards in disappointment. This was harder than she thought it would be. She began to have second thoughts about going through with this.

"And with this…ring, I thee…wed."

Her lips curved into a shocked smile upon hearing those words. They weren't spoken by the priest, but…but Hunter. Suddenly it didn't matter that he'd botched almost every line. He knew the last one. And the way he was gawking at her while placing the ring upon her finger made her feel like a schoolgirl with a crush. This was solely arranged to seek vengeance against her father. But now? Now, it was something else entirely.

They proceeded with the ceremony. Stephanie said her vows effortlessly while Hunter toyed with the ring on her finger. He looked genuinely happy. Maybe their marriage would stand a chance. She had high hopes for them and from the looks of it, Hunter would be glad to go along with whatever she wanted. It was her perfect fairytale.

And then she had to bring her delusions to a halt and remind herself that he was under the influence of God knows what substances. She smiled nonetheless as she slid the other ring onto Hunter's finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may…" The priest let his voice trail off awkwardly as he noticed that the newlyweds had already mauled each other. Their lips were fused in an open-mouthed kiss. Stephanie's legs were wrapped around Hunter's waist, while his hands tangled in her messy locks. They couldn't wait another second. They needed each another now. The fact that the informal chapel was located on one of the floor levels of their hotel was pure luck. Still joined by their mouths, the young couple hurried to the elevator, off to finish the night's celebrations. The priest chuckled to himself and shook his head. "…kiss the bride," he muttered, finally concluding his sentence.

* * *

"Oh God, Hunter!"

Stephanie gasped sharply, throwing her head back in pleasure as Hunter's lips enclosed around her erect nipple. She positioned her hands on the back of his head, driving his mouth further and harder into her breast. The rumor around the locker room was that he was good when it came to activities in the bedroom, but she had no idea he was _this_ good. Wasted or not, he was stirring up feelings inside her that no other human being was capable of doing. And they hadn't even reached the best part yet.

Reluctant to end the sensation, she pulled back. Hunter looked up at her in confusion. His hazel eyes were dark with lust and desire. Stephanie knew the feeling, because it was exactly how she felt just now. She grabbed hold of his hands and helped him make it up from his knees to his feet. He scratched at his stubbly beard.

"Why are we stopping?"

She offered him a sly smile as she stepped closer to his body, until their bare chests were pressed against one another. Teasingly, she dipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his pants before moving to undo his belt buckle. Hunter's baffled expression had vanished, as he was now nipping and sucking at the column of her throat. Stephanie could hardly concentrate on sliding his pants and boxers down his long legs upon feeling his lips on her neck again. He was working her sweet spot, much like he was earlier. He just had the uncanny knack of knowing what she wanted and right where she wanted it.

Hunter stepped out of the garments pooled around his waist. He left a trail of feather light kisses down her creamy skin as he lowered himself to the ground. Stephanie felt her most intimate area throb with anticipation. His mouth was just hovering there. His labored breathing was hot and she could sense it through the lacy material of her thong. His lips felt so good on every other part of her body, and they were bound to be even better here. He lifted his hand to palm her through her damp underwear, eliciting a moan from her swollen lips.

She swore he was trying to kill her with his teasing touches. And she was about to call him on it, but was ultimately silenced as he tore the scrap of lace from her body and tossed it over his shoulder. Stephanie didn't give him the chance to drag out this foreplay. Like before, she placed her hands on his head and pushed his mouth to her hot flesh.

"Sweet Jesus," she muttered, allowing her fingers to intertwine with the long strands of his golden hair.

Stephanie opened her legs a bit more, allowing his tongue to penetrate deeper inside her. She moaned appreciatively, arching her back in response. Before tonight, she'd hardly said more than two words to this man. Her father despised him; therefore, she was forbidden to talk to him. Now fast forward, and here they were in his hotel room, making the sweetest love known to man. She smirked, thinking of the petrified look her father would wear if he saw them now.

Hunter pulled away from her and rose to his feet. She could tell he need to gasp for air, but he ignored the nuisance and fused his mouth with hers again. He broke the kiss for the briefest of moments and parted his lips to speak.

"I need you now, Steph. No more waiting."

Her jaw dropped slightly. Those were the most fluent words he'd uttered all evening. Each one came out clear and concise, unlike his jumbled strings of sounds and vowels prior to now. That led her to believe only one thing…

The drugs had worn off.

Stephanie didn't have time to debate over what any of that meant. Hunter slipped inside her in one swift movement. She gripped his back with her fingers, likely leaving imprints all over. Around her waist, he was doing the same with his hands. Her hips bucked against his before they established a rhythm of rocking into each other.

"Fuck, Steph."

As her name passed his lips, Stephanie's curved into a content smile. She gazed at the wedding band on her finger that glimmered in the moonlight before losing herself in her husband. Tonight, he was all hers. And hopefully, every night after that.

* * *

Present Day

Finally, Hunter found the strength to make a movement. He pushed himself off of the mattress and pulled on the discarded pair of jeans from the floor. His bare feet sank into the plush carpet. Looking down, he noticed the torn, black pieces of what he assumed once were lingerie. Now it bore resemblance to mere scraps of lace.

This was all so strange. He'd been in some odd predicaments involving women before, but nothing like this. Did his alleged wife decide to just bail out on him? There were no divorce papers lying around anywhere. It was still early in the morning though. The sun was barely above the horizon. Perchance if he stuck around a bit, she would make an appearance. God knows he was dying to see what broad had talked him into tying the knot and so soon.

But his questions were to be answered sooner than he'd expected. Hunter's lips twitched into a one-sided smile as he watched the doorknob being fumbled with on the other side. His eyes were wide with curiosity.

As the door finally budged open, his eyes were wide with something else exclusively.

Horror. Shock. Disbelief. Fear.

"Holy shit," he sang through the clenched teeth of his pretentious smile. The brunette returned his smile, only hers was sincere. It couldn't be. But…but it was. The matching wedding band that adorned her hand confirmed his biggest fear.

"Good morning."

Her tone was cheery as she approached him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Hunter remained silent and frozen in his tracks. Why was she being so calm about this? Her father hated him with a passion. This wasn't right. Something here was terribly screwed up. Somehow, he managed to choke out her name as she watched him with her content, blue-eyed stare.

"Stephanie McMahon."

Her tongue poked through her teeth as she traced circles with her cool fingertips on his bare chest. She bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head back and forth very slowly, before correcting him with the words:

"Stephanie McMahon-_Helmsley_."


End file.
